Wings of the Youth

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History proves that whenever people have needed to throw off the shackles of oppression and tyranny, they have turned to the youth. And when the young people have done their job, the older generation has stepped in to govern and form policies. So for revolution it’s the youth, for politics, the grey heads.

In India it has often been seen that a section of the youth have decided to start their own political parties instead of just being members of “youth wings” of the bigger ones. However, these parties have hardly ever managed to go the distance and this gives rise to the question whether there’s space in the Indian political system for such political parties to coexist with the biggies.
With Rahul Gandhi promoting the participation of youth in politics, and politicians down South stressing on the power of youngsters, youth groups and election initiatives have enveloped the political scenario — but its extent and sustainability is questionable.
The list of youth parties is long, there’s the National Youth Student Union of India, the All India Democratic Youth Organisation and many others but while it has been noticed that student unions are highly politicised in terms of agenda and action, experts highlight the dangers of the youth entering politics with the sole motive of accessing power and money.
“Students entering politics is a phenomenon that’s been in the society ever since 1950s. However, post 1955, the groups began politicising their agenda and college campuses were being treated as Parliament sessions, which is not ideal. From the greed for power to the thirst for money, young minds are more inclined towards the ‘political’ aspects rather the betterment of society, so it’s better if such unions are not formed,” opines Cho Ramaswamy, expert in state politics.
Politics is not just about holding banners and promoting campaigns, and anti-corruption groups feel that it’s not just about spreading a message — it’s about cleaning up the system from the grassroots levels — a long lost agenda.
“Politics is way beyond holding a banner or supporting a protest. What needs to be done is working at the grassroots level and clearing up the corruption and mess that has enveloped the Indian political scenario today. It will not suffice to form a politically-charged group and move from one city to another inflicting the agenda of the group on society. One needs to understand the problems of the poor and figure out ways of how to deal with these issues. Greed for power and money will only lead to the fall of the Indian democracy, which is the core of the system today,” says Banu Kumar, president of the anti-corruption group, Fifth Pillar.
Politicians opine that when a youngster enters the political system, the idea of “I want to make a change” is overshadowed with the greed of power and economic status and in the case of amateur unions, ego clashes often lead to the fall of such groups.
“Youngsters are a reflection of the society. Youth politics is a welcome change in the country. However, aspiring politicians must embrace the problems of the poor and not ridicule them. One needs to live like the poor, mix with every stratum of people to understand the problems and only then an able leader will evolve. More than 60 per cent of the people in India live below the poverty line. This fact has to be taken into account while forming the principles of the party. Another point that ought to be kept in mind is that the youth union or group should not be a replica of the existing parties. Most often, the youth get carried away for want of power and money and tend to deviate from the actual problems. It is not mandatory to form a party with educated people only. Even the weaker society has to be given a chance. They’ve lived with the poor and understand the nature of the issues, so they are a great source of strength to the party. Ego clashes are yet another common problem that surrounds youth unions. However, if youngsters work with the principle of serving the country and not ‘self’, such initiatives are bound to make a difference,” says E. Sarath Babu, independent candidate in Chennai.
Some feel that youth politics is a welcome change, as the youngsters tend to idealise their vested interests. “Youngsters are idealistic and they realise their vested interests. They also enter the field of politics with soaring expectations. However it is important that young minds concentrate on studies and not take to politics until they complete basic education. Youth campaigns and initiatives help spread awareness amongst people and it's from these groups that good leaders are elected,” says Nalini Chidambaram, prominent lawyer and wife of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
With our country being one of the few that allows women reservation in Panchayat elections, leaders of such youth groups opine that youngsters ought to take advantage of such provisions. “Only in India, there’s 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayat elections. That’s how I could contest in elections when I was just 21 and fresh out of college. Youngsters who are out there to create a change in the system, must make full use of this opportunity. However, the problem is that the existing political parties don’t allow the independent candidates to grow much. For example, in countries like the USA, college students are allowed to volunteer in election campaigns for the Republicans and Democrats and in the process, they get to learn about the entire election process. This helps in providing an understanding of how the two political groups work. Such opportunities are few in our country. Today, if I want to start on my own, I would not know whom to approach as the leading political parties will overshadow my intentions,” says Jothi Mani, national general secretary of Indian Youth Congress.
Politicians opine that youngsters have two choices: proactive volunteering or dutiful voting, and one can’t hope to make a difference without getting involved in the political scenario. Says K. Pandiarajan, member of Dravida Munnetra Desiya Kazhagam (DMDK), “Youth cannot be indifferent to politics and yet hope to make a change. They ought to be proactive in terms of building a strong political base even if it’s an individual party and there is bound to be friction from the existing parties because our country has always had dynasty politics. To be a leader requires utmost maturity, grit and perseverance and to survive in the present system, it takes more than just leading a campaign.”